cities of the underworld: Shilage Castle
by odstpilot
Summary: Summary: Trigger, his squadron, Mihaly and his granddaughters, along with Ms Frizzle and her class explore the abandoned ruins of Shilage castle.
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1

_Space Elevator, Erusea_

_2019_

The skies above the space elevator were peaceful, yet still tainted with the blood and horrors from the war. A sonic boom was heard, and if anyone were on the island they would have looked up to see something out of this world.

"Slow down! What's your hurry?" Keesha asked, seeing Ms Frizzle at the wheel of the flying school bus.

"There's no time!" the mad teacher exclaimed.

"Ms Frizzle, I want an explanation for this reckless flying this instant." Trigger said, causing Ionela in to roll her eyes at him.

"Why is the steering wheel on the wrong side of the bus?" Ionela questioned, as she and Trigger looked inside the fast moving vehicle.

"Wait. You don't know where we're going?" Keesha asked.

"I just assumed that there was a bomb attached to the bus that would detonate if they dropped beneath 300 mph. Made sense to me and Ionela." Trigger replied.

"That's the plot to the movie speed, the Ustio remake you idiot." Ionela said.

"Will all of you be quiet? I'm trying to focus." Ms Frizzle said.

"Focus on what? Where are you taking us?" Phoebe asked.

A transmission came thru the radio, and Mihaly's gravely voice came thru.

"Pilot with the three strikes, the power at your base is still offline, and all your anti-air defenses are down. Even a few of your COFFIN-equipped planes aren't working. By the way, how are my granddaughters?"

"We're doing fine, grandpa. Thanks for allowing us to go up with Trigger." Ionela replied.

"Also, that Yuktobanian chocolate is melting at the moment." Rosa added.

"No!" Ms Frizzle shouted. She moved the stick to a higher gear and floored it past mach 2.

"Ice cream?! That's why you're flying like a lunatic just to get some fucking ice cream?!" Keesha retorted.

"It's not just any ice cream, Keesha. It's that thick Yuktobanian chocolate ice cream." Ms Frizzle retorted.

"What about your squadron, Trigger?" Ionela asked.

"No good. I sent Tabloid and Scrap queen to get spare parts to fix the bus and the fighter's power steering." Trigger said.

"You mean the bus and plane that we're flying now?" Arnold asked.

Ms Frizzle suddenly felt the bus take a nose dive and plunge towards the earth. In the escorting Su-30, it wasn't better. Trigger suddenly arched up and he wrestled with the out of control fighter.

"Are you trying to show off?" Ionela asked, attempting not to void the contents of her stomach as Trigger pulled the stick back and forth. They were now moving in an up and down motion, the contrails showing a positive and negative parabola.

"I'm not. The damn fly by wire went offline." Trigger said, gritting his teeth. The stick was now stuck, and they were screaming towards the earth at mach 2.

"Ionela, eject!" Trigger shouted as he reached between his legs and grabbed the ejection handle. Both occupants were launched from the fighter and watched as the plane crashed onto the ground and blew up.

'The worst part is, they're going to make Erusea make a new fighter.' Ionela thought.

The school bus survived the crash landing, though it was rather banged up.

"Well, back at Seletapura air-base." Trigger said.

"There goes my ice cream." Ms Frizzle said.

Heading inside the hanger, they saw Tabloid and Avril appear with the spare parts.

"Hey, what happened to the plane?" Tabloid asked.

"Yeah. The fly-by-wire went offline, and took the plane with it." Ionela said.

"Damnit, Trigger. At least we have more planes for you to use." Avril said.

"Does this always happen?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"More than i can count." Avril said.

"Well, i'll let you guys talk. I have to be debriefed about my combat missions during the war." Trigger said.

"Me and the class will be there." Ms Frizzle said, winking at the war-weary pilot.

…

"We were engaged with Erusean drones, that had the paintjob and IFFs of Osean fighter planes. Tabloid came up with the idea for the squadron to basically wrap around me in a tight hug, so Bandog could ID who was friendly or not. It didn't work." Trigger said, feeling like he needed a drink.

"Care to explain?" one of the higher ups asked. Trigger resisted to give the woman a death glare; she was wearing IUN insignias on her uniform. They were the reason he spent months in hell, saw his own wingman be killed all because of the incompetence of their AWACS.

"Fullband was marked as an enemy, but only Count's HUD displayed it. Everyone else saw he was friendly. When the shooting died down, we heard Fullband say he was hit, before his plane blew up, taking him with it." Trigger said.

"It might have been an accident." an Osean general reasoned.

"Bullshit. It wasn't an accident." Trigger said, giving the Osean officers a kubrick stare.

"Did your base commander ever keep records?" another officer asked.

"Our commanders didn't give a damn about us. So I doubt they kept detailed records. At most, you'll find a note saying that Fullband was killed by the Erusean drones."

"Moving on. You, Count, and Tabloid were ordered to escort Commander McKinsey to the city of Bulgudarest. But he never made it." the lead officer said.

"That's right, sir. He never did." Trigger said.

"Care to explain?" an Erusean officer asked.

"I was chasing a MiG, and fired a missile. Pilot must have saw it coming because he jerked away and the missile failed to follow. It locked onto McKinsey's heat signature and blew him out of the sky." Trigger said, careful to avoid showing pride of killing his hated CO. That was something he'd never regret for his entire life.

"So you admit to killing your CO?" the officer asked incredulously.

"It was an accident, you asshole. Look at the camera footage. But wait, you're IUN. So you're fucking incompetent! I should let the Eruseans, hell maybe the Yuktobanians look at the footage!" Trigger spat.

"Captain, control yourself!" Longcaster ordered.

"I'm not going to sit here and be accused of cold-blooded murder! They did it before, and i doubt they looked at the evidence at all." Trigger countered.

"No-one's accusing you of anything." the IUN officer condescendingly said.

"After you joined the LRSSG, your combat record is exemplary. But afterwords, it gets fuzzy. The logs from your squadron indicate that you conducted missions by yourselves. Including an attack on Shilage castle. Why conduct an attack on an enemy fortress deep behind enemy lines?" the officer asked.

Months of rage overcome him.

"You have the record, you read about it. Or do you want me to speak so you can throw me in another penal squadron? It wouldn't be the first time you asshole screwed me over! You guys were more than happy to throw me under the bus." Trigger said.

"And you were pardoned for that crime, if you remember Captain." the officer said.

"Took your sweet fucking time, didn't you? A crime of that magnitude should have warranted all your attention. Hell, it was an Erusean general who cleared me of all crimes. I got more help from the fragmented Erusean forces, than i ever got from the IUN! It's been 4 months since the end of the war, and we're still fighting various anarcho-groups that are popping up! Where the fuck are you?!" Trigger exclaimed, getting in the face of the IUN officer.

"Captain, that's enough!" Longcaster said, standing up and staring down his subordinate.

Trigger left the room, followed by Rosa and Longcaster.

"You were out of line, Trigger." Longcaster sternly said.

"Yeah, because they're so competent. They don't do anything to help us during the current fighting, and they have the gall to lecture us about combat?" Trigger retorted.

"The briefing's on hold. Take some time off." Longcaster said.

"With all due respect, i'm fine." Trigger said.

"Consider this an order." Longcaster said.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

Trigger headed back to the hanger, seeing Ms Frizzle talking with Ionela and Alma.

"Wait. So your grandfather was supposed to be the king of Shilage? Why didn't he take the throne?" the teacher asked.

"He joined the Erusean air-force, even though he was allowed to remain the king. But i'm guessing he'd rather be a pilot than a puppet ruler. Trigger here can tell you more about his fighting skills." Ionela said, pointing to the approaching man.

"So, how'd the briefing go?" Mihaly asked.

"The IUN are pricks, so it went as usual. Anyway, i'm on forced vacation." Trigger said.

"Trigger, you actually fought a king?" Carlos asked.

"What are you talking about?" Trigger asked.

"Mihaly. Well he was supposed to be the king of Shilage." Ms Frizzle said.

Though Trigger didn't show any outward expression, he was screaming inside. That's why he fought so hard against Trigger over Shilage castle. He was trying to protect his people from the Oseans who came to steal their supplies. His respect for the old Colonel went up, as he chose to stay on the frontlines when the opportunity presented itself.

"So, you came here for a reason. What for?" Trigger asked.

"I was teaching the class about architecture, and figured why not come here? You must have something." Ms Frizzle said.

"You could go to Shilage castle. It has a beautiful landscape, with a sunset perfect for a romantic get-a-way. I've only seen pictures but i've always wanted to go there." Ionela said.

"Sounds perfect. Right Trigger?" Ms Frizzle asked, not noticing his dour mood.

"Yeah. Perfect." He said in a blank tone. He headed to an Su-30 and readied it for flight when Mihaly pulled him aside.

"You alright, Trigger?" he asked.

"The shit that happened over the castle. I'll remember that for the rest of my days. Hell of a fluke. We don't target civilians." Trigger said, trying to convince himself.

"Dresden, Yuktobania. Hoffnung, Belka. And recently Farbanti, Erusea. Your 'we don't target civilians' doesn't hold wait. But i understand what you're going thru. And for what it's worth, you'll have to face it sooner or later. How's that book of yours coming?" Mihaly asked.

"Almost done. I'm at the part when i went to Anchorhead bay. We lost General Lebarth." Trigger said.

"I know that castle like the back of my hand. It'll be best if i come along." Mihaly said.

…

Strider squadron headed to the hangers, seeing Trigger and Mihaly preparing two fighter jets. The magic school bus had transformed into a yellow-colored private jet.

"What's going on here?" Huxian asked.

"I'm taking my class on a field trip to Shilage castle. Want to come?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"Well, the squadron is on reprieve. I'd be nice to visit the castle again." Jaeger said.

"Again?" Wanda asked.

"We've been there before. It's not something we want to talk about." Jaeger said.

"Did something bad happen?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"Lady, drop it." Huxian coldly said. Like everyone else in the squadron, she hated the fact that they were reduced to common bandits and thieves. Sleep never came easy to her after that mission.

Everyone climbed into the school bus, noting that Trigger and Mihaly weren't joining them.

"I'm guessing they'll fly as armed escort." Tabloid said, seeing two fighter jets take position ahead of them.

"Colonel, you take point." Trigger said.

"Tower, this is Sol 1. Request permission to take off." Mihaly said.

"Permission granted. Godspeed." the tower said.

As they headed to the castle, they came across a helicopter and moved to intercept.

"Unknown chopper, this is Sol 1 and Strider 1. Identify yourself or you will be fired upon." Mihaly said.

"This is Osean chopper 77. We're here to explore Shilage castle." the pilot said.

"Do you have authorization for this?" Mihaly asked.

"We do. Princess Cossette gave us the go-ahead weeks ago." the pilot answered. As they cross the border into Shilage, a broadcast was heard from the chopper that was broadcasted to the planes and school bus.

"Hi, I'm Don Wildman, and this is Cities of the Underworld. We're heading to Shilage Castle, one of the oldest castles in the Usean continent. The castle was built as a fortress and command center for the kings and queens of Shilage. For hundreds of years, Shilage has seen years of peace and war, especially war as the decades dragged by."

"I love this show. It's one of the few shows on the history channel that actually show history." Trigger said, looking at the live broadcast.

"In fact, i'm flying next to some pilots who may have seen combat at the castle." Don said, aiming his camera at Trigger's Su-30.

"You're right on that. The castle has history within its walls. There's an air strip next to the castle. We all should land there." Mihaly said.

"We can set down upon right on the hill." the pilot said.

"Plenty of bombs were dropped onto the castle. There could be unexploded munitions." Trigger said.

Entering the underground hanger, they saw two F-16s, two Typhoons, one Gripen, and one MiG-29.

"Look at this. An underground air-force base. This is amazing." Don said, glee in his voice.

"How is this possible?" Keesha asked.

"Simple. Build a giant cave, and fill with fighter jets and munitions. It's quite normal around the planet, a bit disconcerting if you think about it." Trigger said.

_"The caves were built as part of a lime quarry, the lime most likely being used to help in the construction of the castle itself. This hidden air-force base is one of the last quarries that is still accessible."_

Mihaly led everyone from the hanger into one of the underground rooms of the castle.

"Colonel, where are we?" Trigger asked.

"The lowest part of the castle. Shilage castle isn't one big structure built over time. It is numerous smaller castle's built over each other. The Kings and queens of Shilage used this hill for a good reason." Mihaly said.

"You seem to know a lot about it." Keesha said.

"My grandpa grew up in Shilage. He was supposed to be the next king of Shilage, before Erusea annexed the country." Ionela said.

"Hold on. You were supposed to be the next king? And you're also the feared mister X? Trigger, your rival from the war is royalty." Jaeger said.

"That explains a lot. Why'd you pass up the throne?" Trigger asked.

Mihaly now noticed that everyone was looking at him. Though he would never admit it, it did make him a little nervous.

"Shilage actually went thru a little revolution, and the dynasty was overthrown. I was almost killed in the process. The Eruseans annexed the country, and reinstated the line. But i instead joined the air-force. Turns out, it was a more productive career." Mihaly said, saying the information as if it were nothing to him.

Everyone just looked at him with stunned looks.

"Why so stunned?" He asked.

"Sorry. It's just that we didn't know." Huxian said.

"I was the top pilot in the Erusean air-force. There's a reason Count and the other pilots fled from me during that fight over Yinshi valley. Yes, we Eruseans gathered some intel about three strikes and his squadron. Didn't Osea have any intel about me and my squadron?" Mihaly asked.

No-one answered, prompting Mihaly to scoff in contempt.

"Wow. This is amazing. Anything else you know about the castle?" Don asked.

Mihaly only chuckled in response.

"Follow me." the Colonel said.

Mihaly led the group into a large and well designed underground cave, held up thanks to many arches.

"How can all these stones keep this castle standing? The castle is hundreds of years old." Carlos said.

"Look at those stones. They take the form of an arch. And depending on how thick and large the arch is, it can support plenty of weight." Mihaly said.

"It's also good for protection. The templar armor is curved, and military hangars for aircraft have a curved top to absorb damage, though it never works." Tabloid said.

"Amen to that sad fact." Mihaly nodded.

"Look at the top brick, in the middle. It's larger than the other bricks." Tim said.

"What do you think that's for?" Jaeger asked.

"This place should have collapsed years ago, but all these arches are holding it up." Arnold said.

"Getting warmer." Trigger nodded.

"And those arches would have collapsed, from top to bottom thanks to the weight. But they're not. They're falling against the middle wedge, and it's holding everything in place. Quite ingenious." Carlos said.

"Solid observation, Carlos. In fact, arches are still used in constructing buildings today." Ms Frizzle said.

"This is definitely game of thrones stuff. What was this room for?" Don asked.

"This room was used for meetings. Secret meetings. Heard of the knights templar? The freemasons?" Mihaly asked.

"Weren't they a secret group that came out of Osea and Belka?" Ionela asked.

"They were. For two hundred years they held enormous power. They also came out of Erusea, and were based in Erusea. The King of Erusea was in debt to them, and needed money." Don said, when Jaeger continued.

"And they were pushed out of Erusea. Many fled to Belka, Osea, and here." Jaeger said, aiming his flashlight upwards, seeing numerous carvings and drawings.

"Who put graffiti on the walls?" Phoebe asked.

"It's not graffiti. The Templars and freemasons made drawings and markings to communicate with others and pass down their knowledge." Don said.

"What's that marking?" Ms Frizzle asked, seeing a lewd picture on the wall.

"That's bestiality and sodomy put together. The leaders of Shilage were also paranoid of the Knights Templar. Follow me." Mihaly said, dragging the group deeper into the large room.

"What's bestiality and sodomy?" Keesha asked.

"Ask your parents when you're older." Ms Frizzle said.

_"Colonel Shilage led us into another part of the lower castle, and we saw how brutal and barbaric the medieval ages were."_

"Oh god." Ms Frizzle said, seeing many of the torture devices.

"The medieval ages were well known for their brutality and terror." Trigger said.

"Why would people make stuff like this?" Ralphie asked.

"Product of their time. Anarchy was all over the place, so leaders had to resort to desperate measures to maintain some measure of law and order." Don said.

_"As we headed towards the surface, it became clear that the castle had seen better days. Certain sections were sealed off thanks to cave-ins, and other parts were rotting away. We also came across martial scars from its past. A room full of cannons and cannon shells was seen, remains of a long past conflict."_

More impressive sights were seen, including an underground throne room. Mihaly sat on the throne with his marksmen rifle in his hand with a stern look on his face. Don couldn't help but take pictures of the stern ruler.

Leaving the throne room, they discovered another empty room, seeing it filled with various weapons and armor.

"This is a big sword! How could anyone hold this?" Carlos asked, as he grabbed one of the swords and attempted to wield it like he was a soldier, only for the blade to fall out of his hands.

"Be careful with that." Mihaly said, as he picked up the sword and put it away.

"And this would be the armory for the Knights Templar." Don said, looking at the many sets of faded armor. On the stone walls, the insignia of the organization was seen everywhere.

"Must be their headquarters. Grandpa, i heard a rumor about the templar's that resided in the castle." Alma said.

"It's not a rumor. The templars fled to Shilage castle and took control of the castle. They trained the natives on combat. And they kept the Eruseans at bay for decades." Mihaly said.

But as they came to the open courtyard, one thing gave everyone pause.

"Where is everyone?" Ionela asked.

"They fled." Jaeger said.

"Why would they leave this place? You can see everything from the top of here." Dorothy said.

"The conflict must have pushed them away. Shilage was always itching to regain their independence." Mihaly lied.

"Look at this view!" Ms Frizzle happily said. They looked at the view with awe and wonder.

"If i was the leader of this castle, i could command everything i saw. No wonder they built the castle here." Don said.

"You could control the entire kingdom from this location, if you knew what you were doing. The castle was also home to commerce and trading. In fact, Shilage was very prosperous for a long time." Mihaly added.

_"The signs of conflict are evident. SAM sites and destroyed fighter jets are seen both on the grounds and terrain surrounding the castle. It's the most recent line of defense that castle utilized. First, was stone walls and catapults. Next was iron cannons. Now, it's state of the art SAM sites and fighter jets. However, we noticed that no-one was at the castle, despite its size that could hold hundreds of fleeing refugees."_

"What happened here?" Don asked.

"My squadron was sent on a recon mission, to scout the Erusean forces in this area. We thought we could get close, but we didn't. The Eruseans saw us and intercepted us. We were pushed out of the territory, took plenty of losses." Trigger lied.

"I understand. But if they won the fight, how come the people fled afterwards?" Don asked.

"During the fighting, bombs and missiles were dropped onto the castle, trying to neutralize their defenses. Why deal with a later threat when you can get rid of it? But it looks like the supplies were destroyed during the shoot-out, so with no supplies, everyone fled." Jaeger said.

"Even today, the castle is involved with fighting. Seems like our planet can't get a moment of peace." Don said.

"I doubt we'll ever have peace again. These fortresses, no matter how old, may serve some purpose. But your guess is as good as mine." Jaeger said.

_'Shilage castle is filled with secrets, and has spent most of its life as a military stronghold for various factions: from the natives of Shilage, to the Knights Templar, down to the Erusean armed forces. While the world on top may advance, the ground underneath, is waiting for us.'_


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Don and his crew left to another part of the country, and everyone else stayed behind to enjoy themselves. Ms Frizzle headed back to the throne room with everyone else, and an idea came to her mind.

Ms Frizzle pulled out a purple robe out of nowhere and sat on the throne, role-playing as the queen of Shilage.

"Ms Frizzle looks like a queen. Where'd she get that robe?" Arnold asked.

"It feels nice to be a queen, lording over my subjects." Ms Frizzle joked, as she looked at everyone else; the throne was several steps above the floor.

"Subjects? I take offense to that." Count said.

"Weren't you convicted of fraud? Of impersonating a member of a royal family?" Tabloid asked.

"Shh! That was a long time ago." Count said.

"Why would you try that?" Mihaly asked.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Count said.

"Anyway, about being the king/queen, It's all great, until the people and military unleash a coup and take over." Trigger said, walking up to the throne and dragged her off the chair and sat down, his 'coup' complete.

"Well, there's that." Ms Frizzle said.

Leaving the castle, they explored the ground surrounding it, though it only brought back bad memories for the Osean pilots.

"I'm never telling my son what happened here." Jaeger said, liting up a cigarette.

"Trigger, you think we could have done things differently?" Count asked.

"We could have. Made a deal with these people: give us some of your supplies, and in return we'll make sure your skies are drone free." Trigger said.

"Not so sure that'll work." Tabloid said.

"It could have. But with the ASAT strike and no communications, everything was so fucking chaotic. We had no choice. What if they had refused? Then we'd waste all that time, and they'd have their defenses up. A sneak attack was the best move." Trigger said, though he didn't seem convinced it was the right move.

"At least the fighting's over. Come on, Trigger. Take this moment to relax. Just imagine. You and Ms Frizzle on a romantic get-a-way." Huxian said.

"It does sound nice." Trigger said.

Ionela and Alma were eavesdropping on the pilot's conversations when an idea came to their mind. They headed to the class and called Ms Frizzle over.

"We think you and Trigger should get together, have a romantic moment with each other. That ought to brighten him up." Ionela said.

"Well, he has been rather dour since we got here. Maybe that'll help. But i doubt he'll want to have it here." Ms Frizzle said.

"Why not?" Wanda asked.

"I get the feeling that this holds a bad memory. Not just for Trigger, but also his friends. They're rather reclusive, as if they're hiding something. And while i'd love nothing more than to crack a mystery, i get the feeling that this is something we shouldn't tamper with." Ms Frizzle said.

Wanting to break the ice, she pulled Trigger aside and asked about plans for a vacation, just for the two of them.

"Where do you want to go?" Trigger asked.

"Somewhere nice. Maybe a nice beach." Ms Frizzle said, not noticing the kids eavesdropping.

"Maybe. But not here on this continent. Take a look." Trigger said, opening a map that had markings on it.

"Why is the coastline marked with X's?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"Those beaches are a warzone, or no longer habitable. This beach, sector 44G. I dropped a radiation bomb on the area to drive an anarchist group out. No-one's going there for a long time." Trigger said.

"You've got to be kidding me. Anywhere else?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"Osea and Emmeria have some nice beaches. The capital of Yuktobania is beautiful during the middle of winter. But it's not the right season." Trigger said.

"Where do you want to go? Osea or Emmeria?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"We can head to Emmeria via the north pole, but it's dangerous. We can head to Osea as well." Trigger said.

"Nice to know we have options. When do you want to head out?" Ms Frizzle asked.

"It'll be getting dark. We leave in the morning." Trigger said.

"Trigger and Frizzle, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Ralphie said.

"Ralphie, could you not be immature?" Ionela asked.

"Come on, Ionela. I find it rather cute." Wanda said.

…

With night upon them, everyone headed underground, finding several beds ready to be used.

"Is anyone else unnerved by this?" Arnold asked.

Trigger only gritted his teeth. One part of him wanted him to take a chance and fly in the middle of the night back to base. But there was no pressing need to. They had shelter and beds to rest in. Why not get some rest?

Seeing the class fall asleep, Trigger headed to his fellow pilots and pulled out several pills.

"What's this?" Count asked.

"Sleeping pills. Considering where we are, and what we did, that last thing we need is to frighten these children by showing post-traumatic. Get some rest. You'll need it." Trigger said, giving Count a pill.

Entering another room, he saw Ms Frizzle removing her dress and motioned for him to arrive.

"Good night." Trigger said to Ms Frizzle.

"Sweet dreams." she said, giving him a light kiss.

_Trigger found himself in an Falken, gunning down another drone._

_"All drones are down. Head to base, and hug the ground." he ordered._

_As they headed back to base, chatter from other squadrons was heard, as they were ordered to stay away from strongholds that the drones set up. Approaching the runaway, Trigger watched as the plane went into an underground bunker, parking next to other planes._

_"Strider 1, a044."_

_"Right. Let them in." a guard said, lowering his RPG._

_Trigger walked into the base, seeing several weary and tired humans strewn across the hallway. He saw a fire lit, and a person forlornly looking into it._

_Entering his quarters, he pulled out a photograph from a pocket and looked at it. It showed Ms Frizzle with a happy smile on her face. He softly traced her face, remembering happier times he had with her._

_"We got contact!" someone shouted, and an explosion was heard._

_Trigger jolted awake and ran out to the hanger, hearing the explosions from their. A helicopter drone was hovering in place, firing munitions at the vulnerable planes, destroying them._

_"Trigger, get to cover!" someone shouted, as a plane in front of Trigger, knocking him on his back. Looking around in shock, he saw the picture melting in the flames and looked at the drone responsible. It turned to look at him, the nose showing a bright red light as if it had a personal hatred against humanity._

Jolting awake, Trigger looked down at the sleeping form of Ms Frizzle. Not wanting to disturb her, he put on his clothes and headed to the top of the castle.

"Trigger?" Dorothy asked, seeing him slip past everyone else.

Trigger stood in one of the stone forts, looking down at the valley. He took a drink of pickle juice, swallowing the bitter liquid in one big gulp.

"Nice night, Trigger." Mihaly said, approaching him from behind. Trigger turned around, pulling out his revolver.

"Nice to see you, Colonel." Trigger said, turning back. He gave Mihaly his canteen and watched as he spat the liquid out.

"Pickle juice?" Mihaly asked.

"It's an acquired taste. Ask Ms Frizzle. She got me hooked onto it." Trigger said, taking another swig.

"Interesting woman you've fallen for. She's quite a spitfire. Energetic, happy. A little nuts, but who isn't?" the Colonel smirked.

"She reminds me of myself, a year ago. Before the war. I was no different than her, except with a more stable frontal lobe. And now…" Trigger said.

"You're different. Dangerous. I can see it in your eyes." Mihaly said.

"A year of war and killing will change you. I feel old and tired. A bit bitter as well. I don't want Ms Frizzle and her class to know." Trigger said, pulling out a photo from his pocket and handed it to Mihaly.

Mihaly looked at the photo, seeing Trigger standing next to a MiG-29. In front of him was several severed heads.

"You did this, Trigger?" Mihaly asked.

"Among other things." Trigger said, hitching a thumb back to the castle.

"So you put on a facade for her sake. But here's the thing about women. They'll figure out the truth. Always. I'm betting that Ms Frizzle has figured out you're suffering from PTSD long ago." Mihaly said.

"You're probably right." Trigger said, drinking more pickle juice when a thought came to his head.

"You know what's funny? Count faked being nobility. Over Yinshi valley, he abandoned me to die against you. You were supposed to take the rightful role of nobility, but instead of sitting in a throne, you choose to sit in a fighter jet. and you threw everything you had at me during the war." Trigger said.

"Interesting point. Count doesn't seem that trustworthy of a wingman." Mihaly said.

"He changed after Wiseman was killed. I think he realized that all his arrogance wasn't going to do anything in the face of certain death. Hell, you showed more respect for Wiseman in one duel, then Count showed under his wing. Funny how that goes." Trigger said.

Dorothy quietly slid away from the two pilots and headed back to Ms Frizzle. Upon waking her up, Dorothy asked point blank.

"Did you know that Trigger has PTSD?" Dorothy asked.

"I know." Ms Frizzle said.

"What's PTSD?" Dorothy asked.

"Post traumatic stress disorder. When you go thru something so… terrible. So traumatic, your body reacts. No two people react the same way. Trigger has seen and done things that we can't even conjure in our darkest nightmare. And he's done those things so that people like me and you can live in safety." Ms Frizzle said.

"Okay. But why not confront him about it? He needs help." Dorothy said.

"He does need help, but that's on his timetable. But when he decides to, I'll be there to help him." Ms Frizzle said.

"Trigger's lucky to have someone like you." Dorothy said.

"Yeah. He is." Ms Frizzle softly said, her eyes aimed at the ground.

"Ms Frizzle?" Dorothy asked.

"I'm fine. I just want some time alone." Ms Frizzle said.

Watching her student leave, she pulled out Trigger's old dog-tags he gave to her. She curled up into a ball and felt a tear leave her eye. She remembered talking to Trigger, about having the class go back in time to see some of his past combat missions. She began to regret that decision, realizing that his PTSD may be triggered by those adventures.

"I'm sorry, Trigger." she softly said.


End file.
